Custom Card of the Day: Chapman Edition



After the huge Bryce Harper thingy yesterday, I guess I've settled down with a lower profile player. On a similar note, WHY IS THE GUY ABOVE A LOWER PROFILE PLAYER???

Think about it- the guy was destined for a great career, except the Reds have been stupidly keeping him as a reliever. He's a great pitcher, but he should be a starter. Same with Neftali Feliz. You can't waste these guys.

Oh well. At least I had a consistent month...

Coming Tomorrow- I need to make more.

Custom Card of the Day; Bryce Harper Edition



Well..he's kinda the big baseball story of the week. How could I NOT make a custom of him?

I'll say this: I watched his debut appearance, and he's a monster at the plate. Whatever people are saying about the guy, they're 100% correct. I think he could be a really good player. However, if Topps lies to us and gimmicks his rookie card, I'm losing all respect for them.

There, I said it Topps. Don't screw up with Harper.

Coming Tomorrow- Another prospect phenom, this one stuck at a middle-reliever role.

Custom Card of the Day: Gio Edition



Well, there's been a lot in the news about the Washington Nationals. For one thing, they're at the head of their division, with a good lineup and stellar hitters. But mainly, it's because they have one of the better pitching staffs in the NL. And yes, even as a Phillies Phan, I can say that.

First of all, there's Stephen Strasburg. After years of trying, he's finally awesome. And I love that. Then, there's the guy above. He's been brought in from Oakland. It's funny, but Gio was one of the additions to the Matt Holliday trade, and was send to Oakland there, in exchange for Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez and others. Gio's an awesome pitcher, and the Nats really need him. Rounding it out are people like Ross Detwiler and Jordan Zimmerman, who would be middle relievers on any other team, but have risen to stardom here. And lastly, there's Edwin Jackson. I'm not alone in thinking that at this rate he could beat Octavio Dotel's record of most teams played on. I can never tell which team he's on at a moment. Now he's here in Washington, but I don't think he'll stay there. Sure, he's racking up SO's, but he's never constant.

So yeah, the pitching staff is the reason everyone's been talking about the Nats toda- wait, what's that? Bryce who?

I might as well make a custom of him for tomorrow.

Custom Card of the Day: KosFu Edition

Ah, Japanese prospects. Some of them are never what they're cracked up to be. Think back to Kasuhisha Ishii, Hideki Okajima and Yasuhiko Yabuta. They all had short lived careers, and they all have quite long names. What I mean is that not all Japanese prospects pan out.

Even the ones that are said to save a franchise that hasn't won a World Series since before most of their ancestors were born, and are said by SI that they will, and end up leaving said team in last for two seasons before ditching them and heading to Cleveland and now their cross-town rivals.

What I'm trying to say is enjoy watching Kosuke Fukudome. He's a decent player that can hit a little bit, but he can' save a team just by being on it.

Coming Tomorrow- Gotta make more. Any more requests?

Custom Card of the Day: Vizquel Edition



In the four years I've been making customs, I have never made a card of the man above. I have no idea why. He's been on three teams in those four years, and he's also a borderline Hall of Famer. Also, he's in his forties, and still a position player.

In other words, he is the Jamie Moyer of infielders.

People have been saying Jamie Moyer is old by saying he played with people like Ron Cey, Dickie Noles and Rich Gossage as their careers were winding down. Omar Vizquel? Vizquel and Moyer are the two last surviving players who played games in the 1980s. Let's put this in perspective. George W. Bush was still the Rangers' GM. The Red Sox still hadn't won a World Series since the 1910's. Even Richard Nixon was still alive. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME!

Vizquel is playing for his sixth major league team in 24 seasons. He's getting ample playing time, and he might stick around longer. This boggles the mind.

Coming Tomorrow- In 2008, he was the biggest prospect in the game. Now...I could care less. So could the team he's playing for, aways South from his old stomping grounds.

1 More Rack Pack of Gypsy Queen

I feel like since I've been buying cards less and less, the products have gotten better and better. Unforutnately, they haven't been getting cheaper and cheaper, but that's besides the point. Either way, the last two sets I've binged upon (Heritage and Gypsy Queen) have been very good, mostly gimmick free, fun sets to collect. So my dad happened to pick up a rack pack for me, and here we are again.

Pack 1-
18- Jackie Robinson. That's a great way to start off the packs.
55- Matt Holliday. I guess St. Louis needed another big star after Pujols left, and this is it.
142- Carlos Gonzalez.
256- AW YES, THIS IS A NICE PARALLEL! NOLAN RYAN #'D TO 599! THAT'S A NICE ONE!
202- Jason "Fozzie Bear" Motte Straight Cut mini
67- Josh Hamilton.

Pack 2-
200- Felix Hernandez. Still didn't deserve the AL Cy Young in 2010. I will stand by this until the day I die.
234- Carlton Fisk. Forever recognized for a home run in a series he didn't even win.
254- Brooks Robinson. Great player.
269- Willie Stargell. Good god, that's 3 Hall of Famers in a row!
238- Rollie Fingers mini. FOUR!
Hallmark Heroes of Sandy Koufax. FIVE! FIVE HALL OF FAMERS AND FELIX HERNANDEZ!

Pack 3-
178- Jose Valverde. Was somehow the AL's best closer last year.
15- Asdrubal Cabrera. Currently baseball's second best Cabrera,
167- Brett Gardner.
27- Mark Reynolds.
177- Nick Markakis Gypsy Back mini
Future Stars of Mark Trumbo. Only if he's at another position.

And now the Brown Borders.
295- Doc Gooden. Pretty nice.
242- AL KALINE! Very nice.
238- Rollie Fingers. Wow, these were good brown borders.

All in all, great packs. A lot of Hall of Famers, and a Blue Border of Nolan Ryan. Good stuff.

Custom Card of the Day: Chipper Edition



Back when I was younger, I didn't know too much about baseball. Hell, the first real baseball player I'd ever heard of was Derek Jeter. But, at a young age, there was always some way of showing 7 or 8 year olds which players were awesome, in any sport. And it was called Backyard Baseball.

For the unaware adults, BB was an old computer game where you'd make your own team and essentially play a 6 to 9 inning game, with cool hitting or pitching bonuses. As a bonus, they'd throw in actual players. The ones I already knew at the time were obvious: Jeter, Giambi, Rodriguez and Ichiro were easy ones. I knew Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Jim Thome. But through the game I learned about others like Jeff Bagwell, Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr, and even obscure ones like Jeff Conine and Richie Sexson.

Then there was Chipper Jones. I remember him cause he was the skinny one, and he seemed kinda young. Also, because I was 7, I thought it was funny that his name was Chipper.

So the years go by, and I keep playing that game. I learn how to assemble my hitters, so that the bigger hitters were kept to the middle of the lineup, and the young, fast ones would lead off. Due to my thinking, Chipper Jones always led off. He was the young one.

2007 comes, and that's when I first get into baseball cards. Thankfully I'm older now, but I'm relearning about who's good and who I put in the binders. Finding cards of all the players I knew from BB sure helped, cause I already knew Ken Griffey was good, and I already knew Randy Johnson was good, and so on.

Then I pull my first Chipper card. At this point I was flustered because a lot of people (Bagwell, Sosa, Nomar) weren't showing up on cards. I saw Chipper, and I was thankful that The Young One had stuck around.

It is at this point that I turn his card over. This is the exact moment that I stopped calling him the Young One. Cause he was 35.

Of course, I've learned to respect Chipper over the years, and he's definitely an Atlanta legend. Hell, I don't think there's anyone that really hates Chipper; he's just a great player, and a fun player to watch. And no matter how old he gets, he's still a pleasure to watch play.

This year, Chipper announced 2012 would be his last season. I can admit I saw this coming, but it's kinda weird. I've gotten accustomed to seeing Chipper on the Braves for all my life. It's just weird seeing him not there, not at third. It would be like turning on NBC on a Saturday night at 11:30, and finding some other show on.

Still, even as his career winds down, you kinda have to marvel at Chipper Jones. He'll always be The Young One, and he'll always be an Atlanta Brave.

(No, I will not do that for YOUR birthday)

Coming Tomorrow- The other aging infielder who celebrates his birthday today. Only this guy's 46. And started playing before Chipper.

Custom Card of the Day- Hamels Edition

This hasn't been the greatest week for the Phillies. First, Roy Halladay gives up three straight walks to the Padres of all teams. Then Cliff Lee winds up on the DL. Also, half our infield is on the DL, with our second baseman returning tonight. Thankfully the man above has been doing a consistent job of not being crappy the past few weeks. While Halladay has had a rough start and Worley has seen little time, and Lee...you know, Hamels has been pitching well for us. It's just sad that our team is doing this badly, and that so many players are injured. Hopefully we'll have a stronger May and June.

Coming Tomorrow- I need to make more. Any requests?

Update- Just realized after posting that this is my 800th post. Now that's a nice milestone to have a Phillie custom on. I swear I'll prepare for the 900th.

Custom Card of the Day: Humber Edition

If I didn't make a custom of this guy, the entire blogosphere would be raining down on me, demanding one.

So here it is.

It's kinda awesome.

Three Rack Packs of Gypsy Queen

If someone stopped me out of nowhere and asked me what my favorite product of last year was, my first instinct would be Gypsy Queen. It was an awesome retro set with a good design, good inserts and cool parallels. Maybe I'm biased because I was waiting for another National Chicle and got something just as awesome. But last year's set was really good: so good that it's back for a sequel. The first chance I got, I snapped up three rack packs of the stuff.

Pack 1-
122- Casey McGeehee. Not necessarily the best way to start the packs, but the design's pretty good.
128- Grady Sizemore. Greatest one-legged outfielder ever to play for Cleveland. I kid, Grady's awesome.
138- Chris Carpenter. Out for the season.
30- COOOLE HAMELS!!!
245- Darryl Strawberry mini. Not collecting the minis this year, so they're all for trade.
Hallmark Heroes of CAL RIPKEN JR.

Pack 2-
184- Stephen Strasburg. Man, he's getting good.
95- Dexter Fowler. Saw him in the 2008 Futures Game. He was a good prospect.
173- David Ortiz, aka Big Poopi
Sliding Stars of Andrew McCutchen. A sideways shot so good it's a shame I didn't customize it.
71- Ian Kennedy BLACK MINI
Glove Stories of Josh Hamilton.

Pack 3-
80- Ryan Braun. The Hebrew Hammer.
69- Troy Tulowitski. Thankfully hasn't let his rookie season define him.
10- ROY...HALLADAY! What a player.
250- Ken Griffey Jr. BLUE BORDER #'D TO 599! WOW! THAT'S AWESOME!
108- Guillermo Mososco mini Straight Cut back
197- David Freese. Allow me to break the ice- the home run last year will be his defining act. He's the David Tyree of the MLB.

 Brown Borders-
182- Buster Posey. Hoping he bounces back.
170- CLIFF LEE! Only a Vance Worley will make these packs more awesome
267- RAPID ROBERT FELLER! NICE!

Pack 4-
283- Mike Leake. I feel sorry for the team that trades for him, inciting the obvious "Taking a Leake jokes"
116- Josh Reddick
114- Brad Peacock. In the Study, with the candlestick.
Sliding Stars of Elvis Andrus.
320- Justin Verlander mini
Hallmark Heroes of Ernie Banks!

Pack 5-
213- Ryan Lavarnaway. Never heard of him.
36- Adam Lind.
275- Mark Melancon
87- Jayson Werth. Glad he brought the beard back
120- Mickey Mantle Mini!
Moonshots of Frank Thomas. Greatest White Sock of all time

Pack 6-
247- Paul Molitor. Nice!
180- Albert Pujols on the Angels!
140- Joe Mauer. Hoping he returns to form
6- Matt Moore
154- Victor Martinez mini straight cut back
Future Stars of Brandon Beachy

Brown Borders-
1- JESUS MONTERO! VERY VERY NICE!
92- AAAAAADDRIIIAAANNNN Gonzalez. This'll go well with the brown border I have of him from last year
190- ROBBIE CANO, don't ya know.

Pack 7-
229- Ty Cobb. What a mean person.
226- Johnny Bench.
170- Cliff Lee. And the regular version of him
49- Adrian Beltre. Still overrated
225- Albert Belle mini
Moonshots of Albert Pujols. Nice. My 3rd card of him as an Angel

Pack 8-
118- Ike Davis
13- Anibal Sanchez
191- Michael Cuddyer on the Rockies
3- Billy Butler
238- Rollie Fingers mini
Future Stars of Eric Hosmer. Damn right

Pack 9-
279- Jeff Niemann
119- Justin Morneau. Probably never will be as good as he used to be
126- Brett Myers
136- Marteen Prado
122- Casey McGehee RED BACK MINI
240- Tim Lincecum.

Brown Borders-
245- Darryl Strawberry. Nice
244- Roger Maris. NICER!
100- DEREK...JEEEETAAAHHH! THAT IS AWESOME!

So that's the break. Overall, I really like this set, and will continue to collect it.

Custom Card of the Day: Holland Edition

It's funny how the face of the Rangers' pitching staff changes year by year. Two years ago it was Cliff Lee, last year it was CJ Wilson, and now it's Derek Holland. Holland is off to a pretty good start, and is leading the Rangers to first already. It's been a few years in progress, but he finally snapped forth. The question now is if he can stay hot for the rest of the year. If so...by next year he might not be on the Rangers anymore.

Coming Tomorrow- I need to make more, but signs point to Mr. Perfection #21.

Custom Card of the Day: Jones Edition

You have to feel bad for the Orioles: they can't help it, they're just facing a crummy division. You have the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays, three teams who normally play musical chairs ever September for a spot in the playoffs. Then you have the Blue Jays, who, while not terrible, are still good enough to stay out of last. I'll say that if they were in any other division, the Orioles would have a sliver of a chance of staying out of last. But sadly, year after year they'll continue to be bested, hopefully until the three other teams start sucking, and the Jays stop being better than them.

Every season I go out to an Orioles game, get some cheap seats with a friend of my dad's, and enjoy the game. Because the Orioles are a fun team, with no care for winning or losing, they're just a fun team to watch. Adam Jones acts as a bit of a ringleader- he's a great outfielder who's quick and can hit pretty well. In other words, he's the dreadlockless version of Andrew McCutchen. Although it's nice when he's really on his game, and it's always a joy to watch him side-bump with Nick Markakis every time they win.

Coming Tomorrow- Last season it was CJ Wilson. Now, there's a new pitcher in Texas that has come out of nowhere and is dominating the mound.

100 Years Later...they're still terrible

One Hundred Years ago this past Saturday was the night that the Titanic gracefully descended into the waters below, as James Cameron led us to believe. Six days later would be the maiden voyage of the site of another perpetually sinking ship known as the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Park turns 100 years old today, and the big day is being celebrated by Eric Chavez jumping out of a cake and promptly hitting two homers against them.

While I kid the Red Sox, you have to admit it's been a very good 100 years. Legends such as Babe Ruth, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr have graced the field, and only the former has won a World Series. Classic World Series' such as the 1918, 2004 and 2007 have ended in triumph, while the ones in 1967, 1975 and 1986 have ended in defeat.

Aside from players, a huge, slobbering pack of fans call Fenway its home. The only thing they love more than the Red Sox is watching the Yankees lose, and said event has, unfortunately for me, occurred numerous times. But, I imagine, most Boston fans are very nice people, and treat opposing fans with general kidding around, right up until the point where they finish their third beer.

I have never experienced a Red Sox game at Fenway, and though I am very curious, I will likely travel their incogneto in a Boston jersey, preferrably one of a legend, than in my Jeter. Because then I'd just be asking for it. That's not to say I have a problem with Boston fans- I have some family up there, and an old college friend of my dad's happens to live up there (but he's a story for another post). Hell, there are even a few Sox fans in my town- one girl in my Spanish class always comes in with Boston colors. So I don't hate the fans-- just the team.

So I guess it's kinda nice that Fenway's turning 100, and the ballpark is very high on my list of Stadiums I need to visit (behing Wrigley and Great American Ballpark, the latter I might visit this summer). And as much as I love making fun of the Red Sox over and over (and over and over), I still can stop and appreciate that they've been going strong for 100 years.

Okay, scratch that. They've been going strong for about 10 years, but the other 90 the mailed it in and went weak.

(P.S.- Please don't kill me, Boston fans)

Custom Card of the Day: Kemp Edition

The Dodgers are first in their division, and even THEY can't believe it. Well, it's mostly due to the fact that the two teams below them are staying below, and the two teams projected above them have faltered. But somehow they've managed to stay up there, batting down the Giants, the D-Backs and the sportswriters. And I really hope they stay up there. It's not everyday that a newly rejuvenated team shoots to first. I have highest hopes for Matt Kemp, and I hope he continues hitting.

Coming Tomorrow- I need to make more.

Custom Card of the Day: Heyward Edition

This season there have been four surprises in the NL East, okay maybe five.

One- the unpredictable ascent of the Washington Nationals.
Two- The Pretty-Much-Predictable decline of my own Philadelphia Phillies
Three- The Titanic Decline of the Miami Marlins
Four- The Entirely Impossible start of the New York Mets
Five- The fact that the Young, Strong Atlanta Braves are stuck in the middle.

This is completely ridiculous. How come the teams that were supposed to do well are sucking, and the teams that were supposed to suck are doing well? The only thing that's gone on as predicted is the Braves landing in 3rd, too good to be in last, and not good enough to be in first.

Believe me, this isn't the only prediction that's gone haywire. The Angels are last in their division right now, The Rays are last in THEIR division right now, tied with Boston, and the Dodgers are leading the NL West. It is a crazy first three weeks. Nobody can believe anything that's going on, especially in the NL East.

Another surprise- Jason Heyward has yet to become the household name he was destined to be. And it's a shame: after a stellar rookie season, he was destined for a huge career, then was saddled with a sophomore slump last year. The guy has talent. His team really needs him, and they sure as hell don't need another David Justice, or another Mark Lemke (I know, how dare I say his name in vain.) They need Jason Freaking Heyward, and they need the one from 2010.

Whether they'll get him or not is beyond me. But you never know; if Jason Heyward gets back to his old self, it won't be the craziest happening in the NL East.

Tomorrow- Meanwhile, all the way on the other side of the country, Some form of magic is happening to a struggling team, and I'm not just referring to their new owner. Their big star is on the slate for tomorrow.

Custom Card of the Day: Choo Edition

I can't believe I've never made a custom of this guy. Well...he's sat out portions of the last few seasons with injuries, but other than that, he's been one of the better hitters in Cleveland. He's good at his position, and the fans love him to death. I feel that since the Indians are coming off to an okay start, now'd be a good time to showcase the Choo-Choo Train in all his glory.

Coming Tomorrow- After a lackluster sophomore season, one of the hundred Atlanta youngsters tries to reestablish himself as the J-Hey Kid.

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

I think the man above is one of the most fun-to-watch up-and-comers in the league right now. He steals bases, he makes awesome plays at second, and he's quick on his feet. The Dodgers are lucky to have him, and they needed a good second baseman.

Coming Tomorrow- I need to make more. Any Requests?

630

What was that? A-Rod Sucks? Well is your favorite player 5th on the all time home run list?

Memo to Mays, Ruth, Aaron and Bonds: Watch out!

Custom Card of the Day: Wright Edition

I have no disrespect for the Mets, despite my prescence in a place that some chuckleheads may refer to as "Pretty Much Philadelphia", when in reality they're 20 minutes off. The Mets are a team I've never hated, but I've really never loved them either. Back in the mid-2000's, when they had decent teams, I really didn't care. In 2007 when the Phils clinched the division over the Mets, I cheered. For Philly, not against the Mets. And I have nothing against David Wright. He's a pretty good player, and he can hit.

I might be going to a Mets game this year. And I really hope this guy's still on the active roster when I'm there. If he's injured I'll barely be seeing a Mets team.

Coming Tomorrow- Who knew one of the more fun rookies of last year would be the spawn of one of the more interesting relievers of the last two decades.

Custom Card of the Day: Hosmer Edition

A lot is being said of the Royals right now, and for good reason. They've developed a team full of young stars with loads of potential, even to the point where they're being considered pennant contenders. The man up top is one of the stronger bats. The guy has made a name for himself as the team's biggest young star, and is expected to have a strong sophomore season. At least I hope he does- somebody has to prevent the Tigers from winning this year.

Coming Tomorrow- The lone bat on a struggling team in a town named after the sound a toilet makes.

Custom Card of the Day: Votto Edition

The Reds have never been a hateful team to me. If anything they've been quite fun to watch. Even in the years where all they had was Ken Griffey Jr. and Bronson Arroyo, they were never a team to root against. And they aren't such a team right now. Votto is one of those players that usually hits well, and gets the crowd on his side. And there's a whole team full of fun players like that, with the exception of maybe Aroldis Chapman. People like Bruce, Phillips, Cueto, Rolen and so on are all good to watch, and you can't really root against them.

One of these days I also need to make it out to a Reds game. Just because.

Coming Tomorrow- Wait, what's that coming out of Kansas City? Could it be...A DECENT LOOKING TEAM? And the young sophomore star acting as its fearless leader is up tomorrow.

Custom Card of the Day: Verlander Edition

Is this man the best pitcher in baseball? I mean, he won the Cy Young and the MVP last year, his fastball kills offense, his team's strong, and he ALWAYS slays my Yankees. The last one's easy...even Carlos effin Pena can do that. But Verlander is probably baseball's most dominant pitcher right now. Detroit is lucky to have him, because the moment he leaves, they're toast.

Coming Tomorrow- Cincinatti's #1 guy.

Custom Card of the Day: Halladay Edition

This is the fifth Roy Halladay Phillies custom I've made in his three seasons with the team, and he's deserved every one of them. He's one of the best pitchers in the league right now, and he's leading a great team to become a better one. Sure, he may be one piece of a growing rotation, but it's a good piece. Lee, Hamels and Worley are awesome in their own ways, but they ain't Roy.

I hope he stays around for a long time, and I hope he leads Philly to another great season.

Coming Tomorrow- Last year's AL MVP, hoping to establish himself as an even bigger name.

Custom Card of the Day: Wood Edition

Last year I went to a Nationals game, against the Cubs. I was down near the bullpen, hoping to field a few practice balls. I was looking around, and I see a Cubs fan near the bullpen, flagging down somebody to help get the ball. Kerry Wood pops out, and the Cubs fan is overjoyed. And the guy just has a conversation with Kerry. Hell, I think the topics ranged from "We're so happy to have you back" to "you guys were robbed back in 2003". And Kerry seemed like a really nice guy. First of all, I never knew how deep his voice was, and second of all, he was extremely affable.

The minute he gets onto the mound, he's as intimidating as hell.

I hope he finishes his career a star, and I hope Chicago gives him the respect he deserves.

Coming Tomorrow- Roberts. Bunning. Carlton. McGraw. Schilling. And now the man who will indefinitely join their ranks the minute he retires.

Custom Card of the Day: Strasburg Edition

I'm not the only one who's still waiting for Strasburg to get huge. The headlines were warning us that a huge baseball player is coming, and he was touted as a huge prospect. So...where is all that?

I mean, I'm not wrong, right. He hasn't played a full season in his 2 so far in the bigs. True, his stuff has been pretty good, but he hasn't made any all star teams, or gotten his team to a postseason. I hope things turn around for him, at least not in the Van Poppel kinda way.

Coming Tomorrow- A former hotshot youngster transformed into the aging face of his lackluster team.

4 More Rack Packs of Heritage

I'm really really liking this year's Heritage, as you can kinda tell. I haven't really been a Heritage fan the last few years, but I'm been enjoying this year's set. The design is colorful, the pictures are awesome, and it's a fun set to collect. So, today I bought four rack packs of it. What can I say, I'm consistent as hell!

Pack 1-
350- Tommy Hanson, The Man Who Got Hurt Too Much
303- Alexi Ogando. Looks like Robert Davi. This is bad news.
106- Tim Lincecum. Is awesome. Just had to say that.
405- MICHAEL EFFING PINEDA! WOOOOOO! True, he's on the DL, but it's still a card of Pineda in a Yankee uni! BOOYAH!
223- Addison Reed rc. Meh.
Flashbacks of Alcatraz, 49 years before it would become a crappy show on Fox.
215- BJ Upton. Still not as good as his younger brother. There, I said it.
418- Johnny Damon. Sadly doesn't have a team this year.
237- Ivan Nova. YEAH!
86- Dayan Vicedio. Seems decent enough.
122- Hanley Ramirez, shoddily photoshopped into an awful uniform.
420- Eduardo Nunez, the heir apparent to Alex Rodriguez. Big shoes to fill, buddy. Literally.
207- Mike Trout. Apparently not ready for the show.
15- Ron Gardenhire.
458- Adron Chambers.
294- Mike Scioscia, whose tragic illness made us smile. (somebody please get the reference)

Pack 2-
117- Vernon Wells. Allergic to america.
79- Kendrys Morales. Hah, hah.
384- Blake DeWitt. Sucks now.
318- CHARLIE MANUEL!
261- Javy Guerra.
Mariano Rivera sticker. Cool.
RED SOX TEAM CARD. BLUUHHHHH
58- Marlon Byrd. Former Philly propsect, current Fort-Holder in Chicago.
352- Mike Adams.
22- Edwin Jackson.
191- Rookie Stars. I love these. No one of note on this card though.
279- Matt Kemp. Was robbed.
67- Shaun Marcum CHROME #'D TO 1963. Coulda done better, but nice.
201- Yovanni Gallardo
209- Chris Ianetta. I love these cartoons on the backs.
345- Mark Reynolds. What a season he had last year.

Pack #3-
32- DOMONIC BROWN!
1- Floating heads
214- Joakim Soria.
362- Rookies. Most notably former college star and current Philly prospect Joe Savery.
293- Tim Stauffer. He's so cold he's usually found in the freezer aisle. (Get it? Stauffer's? I'll shut up now)
Alcatraz again
14- Justin Masterson
21- Drew Stubbs.
56- CLIFF LEE!!!
376- Trevor Cahill. Looks like Elmer Fudd.
18- Sox teamup
186- Joe Mauer.
191- The same prospect card I just got
279- Matt Kemp again. Sigh...he's still awesome though.
Then and Now of Koufax and Verlander. Nope, try again. Verlander isn't Jewish.
382- Joe Girardi. (Bows)

Pack 4-
311- Brad Peacock.
300- Carlos Beltran, clearly not wearing a Cardinals uniform.
277- David Price. Yeah, you know...is wrong, bitch.
171- Jordan Zimmerman
299- Rookies. no one of note.
160- Mark Buerhle, not wearing a Marlins uni.
393- Clint Hurdle. People must love jumping him.
262- JD Martinez
208- Rookies. Adron Chambers and Drew Pomeranz are the highlights
252- Aramiz Ramirez. PS'd into a Brewers jersey. I'M ONTO YOU TOPPS!
135- MORE ROOKIES! Steve Lombardozzi and Jordan Pachecho are the ones I've heard of
47- Jayson Werth, pictured with a beard, and without playing time.
352- Mike Adams.
245- Lucas Duda. Kruk.0
485- Mike Napoli.
248- Kosuke Fukudome. Whatever happened to him.

So that's it. I still love this product. Nuff said.

Custom Card of the Day: Hamilton Edition

It's hard to believe, but this is only Josh Hamilton's sixth official MLB season. What amazes me is that in six long years, Hamilton has become one of the premier players in the league, one of the fiercest hitters, and one of the game's brightest stars. And he only walked in five years ago this season. To put things in perspective: In 2007, the Rangers finished in last place, and ended the season trading Mark Texiera to Atlanta, and trading Edinson Volquez to Cincinatti.

Things have changed, apparently.

The Rangers have made it to the World Series two years in a row. They've been the team to beat in the AL for the past few seasons, and Hamilton is only a small chunk of an intimidating offense. The man has thankfully overcome his drug problems, and has become one of the game's best overall hitters.

Coming Tomorrow- I don't know. Any requests?

Custom Card of the Day: A-Rod Edition

This man does not deserve your crap.

Yes, for the past few years Alex Rodriguez, former favorite player of mine, has been the butt of numerous jokes around the MLB. The punchline: A-Rod sucks.

Let's get one thing straight- A-Rod isn't exactly terrible at baseball. Hell, he can still swing a bat and play third base. But he hasn't had a great run the last few years. He's gone from the best shortstop in baseball to...well, A-Rod. He's developed a new type of classification.

Nevertheless, the guy does not deserve all of the crap everyone's giving him. I can confess that maybe he can have some of it, cause I'll never forgive him for taking steroids. But at least loosen up on him if he has one decent season.

(gentlemen, start your disagreements)

Coming Tomorrow- I don't know. I gotta make more.

Expectations for a Hyped Year

It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen. Tomorrow, every baseball fan will offically have a reason to live, and every baseball manager will have a reason to die.

The season begins tomorrow, and it couldn't come soon enough. The offseason was long, and quick, though quite eventful. Big stars were swatted across the leagues, and teams were deprived of their stars.

However, while the rest of the league is uncertain in its progress, there's one team whose season seems to be drawn out for them, and that is my New York Yankees. They picked up a lot of awesome players in the offseason, including:

• Michael Pineda, in a trade with Seattle


• Raul Ibanez, in a free agent signing


• Andy Pettite, after he returned from retirement


• Hiroki Kuroda, in a free agent signing

Unfortunately, we lost a few players as well, including:

• Jesus Montero, in a trade with Seattle


• Jorge Posada, to retirement


• Bartolo Colon, signed by Oakland


• AJ Burnett, signed with Pittsburgh

Still, with the roster we've built up, it looks like it'll be a great season. Personally, I'd love to take it all this year. But that's just me.

Custom Card of the Day: Prince Edition

All eyes will be on this man in the AL Central. He's the biggest thing to hit Detroit since the last first baseman who landed there, who's now playing third. And I feel like Prince Fielder wasn't even playing for Milwaukee, that so many eyes were on where he'd sign that he wasn't playing for anybody. Now that he's with Detroit, he needs to perform. The Tigers will attempt to repeat the stellar postseason they had last year, and they'll rely on Prince to be the mega-hitter he was for the last six seasons. I just hope for their sake that he improves.

Coming Tomorrow- A Yankee for Opening Day.

Custom Card of the Day: Johan Edition

I'm not a Mets fan, yet even I find this comeback amusing. This is especially considering the fact that Johan Santana hasn't played in two seasons, and he used to be the biggest pitcher in the AL. Everyone used to think he was a lock for the Hall of Fame...then he fell off the face of the earth. Hopefully Johan will have a comeback, since the Mets really need him right now. Ever since missing the playoffs in 2007, the team has gone into a downward spiral, and I hope they get out alright.

If not...who cares, they're just the Mets.

Coming Tomorrow- Another example of the shift in power from the NL to the AL.

Custom Card of the Day: Big Papi Edition

You'd think this is the trifecta. I hate the Red Sox, and I hate April Fool's Day. But, contrary to popular belief, I don't hate David Ortiz.

And that's not an April Fool's Prank.

Even in the days where I rarely followed baseball, Ortiz was never the enemy in Boston. It was Manny, usually. Then it became Pedrioa and Ellisbury, and it's ALWAYS been Youkilis. But I never really hated Ortiz. Why? Because he seems like a decent enough human being, having a kid he loves and all that. And also, because I can actually respect his duties at the plate...against everyone else but the Yankees.

The media's predicting that Boston would come in 3rd this year. I'm one of the only guys secretly hoping for a Baltimore uprising, making them come in 4th, or even 5th. But Ortiz...he's probably one of the only players on the team I WOULDN'T want hit by a bus.

Coming Tomorrow- Five years ago he was the most fearsome pitcher in the National League. Today he's recovering from two injury-missed seasons, hoping to return to his prime.